Syndie ratings taking spring break

Spring has sprung a number of syndie shows out of their rating orbits.

A mixture of reruns and warmer weather combined to produce significant ratings losses for a large contingent of barter shows, according to the Nielsen national syndication rankings for the week ended April 4.

Among the programs taking the biggest week-to-week blows were Paramount’s “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (tumbling 20% to an 8.6 from a 10.7) and “The Untouchables” (sliding 14% to a 5.1 from a 5.9). Both shows were in reruns during the week.

But an original of Par’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation” also fell 11% to a 9.5 from a 10.7.

Of the strips, Multimedia’s “Rush Limbaugh” plunged 16% to a 3.1 from a 3.7. The talker has run into a wall lately, posting losses in three of the past four weeks.

Par’s “Arsenio Hall Show,” however, bucked the downward trend and rose 14% to a 2.5 from a 2.2.

Others experiencing double-digit declines were Viacom’s “The Montel Williams Show” (down 15% to a 2.8 from a 3.3) and Tribune’s “The Joan Rivers Show” (dipping 11% to a 1.7 from a 1.9).

In the off-net arena, Turner’s “The Wonder Years” sank 10% to a 3.7 from a 4. 1, while Columbia’s “Married… with Children” dove 10% to a 7.1 from a 7.9.

The tabloid set was weak, with King World’s “Inside Edition” dropping 7% to a 7.5 from an 8.1, Par’s “Hard Copy” slipping 5% to a 5.4 from a 5.7 and Twentieth’s “A Current Affair” losing 4% to a 7.2 from a 7.5.